good question, I've seen coins rise and fall, cup and handle, used beta and pre-release miners. The risk you speak of, is a question of crystal balls. how much will it be worth in 1 month? 2? 6? a year or so? All we have to go on is in depth knowledge of crypto in general, the algorithm, its potential use-cases, benefit in comparison, etc. a lot goes on gut instinct, and the will to put the work in and say "if i lose out, i lose out". most of the people in this thread feel it's a worthy venture, with different ways to go about it i'm sure. That's probably why we're here. My best advice is to be comfortable in your personal finances first.